Review of Children of Blood and Bones by Tomi Adeyemi
“Children of Blood and Bone was written during a time where I kept turning on the news and seeing stories of unarmed black men, women and children being shot by the police… I told myself that if just one person could read it and have their hearts or minds changed, then I would’ve done something meaningful against a problem that often feels so much bigger than myself.” -Tomi Adeyemi in the Author’s Notes
If I really wanted to I could end the review right there and I think it would be pretty friggen satisfying.
Ms. Adeyemi’s debut YA fantasy novel, Children of Blood and Bone, is a fast-paced, action-packed roller-coaster ride through the mystical kingdom of Orisha. COBB follows Zellie, a temperamental and guilt-ridden young Diviner; Amari, the Princess of Lagos, arebel without a cause; and Prince Inan, heir to the throne of Orisha and first-born of King Saran, Lord of the Kosidan.
There was a time when Zellie’s race of Diviners was ruled by holy-people called the Maji. Their bright white hair and magical powers were considered a gift of the gods. These powers were ruled by the ten deities beneath the creator, Sky Mother, and determined which Clan a practitioner would join. Each had access to mystical abilities and elemental strength that made them an unmatched force in Orisha.
King Saran saw this power as a threat, rather than a blessing, and when he ascended to the throne he purged his kingdom of all magic. By weaponizing a special metal that resists their magic, Saran’s forces descended upon the mighty Maji and exterminated them. The temples and villages were burned, their holy relics stolen and defiled.
The magic left Orisha that day, but the diviners did not lose their hope, not entirely.
Zellie and Amari are a good example of an odd-couple in fantasy writing. The Princess has had everything handed to her for most of her life, and had the fight beaten out of her at a young age; Zellie can’t stop running into fights, and has had to endure far more than anyone ought to in a single lifetime. Together they seek out the lost relics of the ancient faith — a magical scroll, the sunstone, and the bone dagger — to restore the gifts of the gods to the magic-less Diviners.
But it’s a race against the clock! The powers of Sky Mother can only be returned to Orisha by the centennial solstice, else nevermore. To make matters more difficult, Prince Inan of the ruling Kosidan is hot on their trail, and possesses the powers of a Maji as well. Though his powers are confusing and shameful to him, and it makes him very unpredictable as an antagonist. He’s just as likely to strike down his own men and councilors as betray his friends or beloved sister.
In the end though, King Saran is the ultimate antagonist or “Big Bad” of COBB. It was his actions that severed the Maji’s connection to Sky Mother, and set the Kosidan in a place of supremacy above the Diviners. The king’s troops are brutal and merciless, calling the Diviner’s maggots to their face, and treating them little better than worms. The showdown between these powers set father against son, lover against lover, and daughter against father to ultimately prove there is no difference between Kosidan and Diviner: We are all Children of Blood and Bone.
There are many delightful elements to this story that I would love to nerd out about:
The Maji Clans are sick! and full of beautiful richness and depth. Tomi was careful to space out the exposition on the Clans well enough to keep it from ever becoming too info-dumpy (I myself could have done for a lot more of it).
The chapters in the secret temple with Lekan of the ancient order of Sentaros and the legend of the Mamalawo were so gratifying from a world-building standpoint. I look forward to reading more about Orisha’s history.
Zellie’s internal struggle with her powers as a Reaper and the complications that arise from raising the dead is a real masterstroke. It’s such a nuanced approach to an otherwise brutal and horrific ability — the power to control death itself. That’s not to say I don’t like Inan’s journey as well, because his was a great quest for power as well, but Zellie’s especially sticks out in my heart and mind.
The pace of the action is breakneck and breathtaking. I would find myself suddenly having read 3 chapters when I meant to only read one. And Ms. Adeyemi’s ability to build up tension by ending a chapter at the perfect moment is a thing of beauty.
There is a surprising amount of locales the young heroes visit and it’s done so quickly that it makes me very excited for the coming installments. This is a rich world with a lot I would like to explore before the story is all said and done.
But none of these triumphs compare to the most obvious one: Ms. Adeyemi’s masterful handling of American race-relations in a YA Fantasy setting.
The care with which she shows how similar the Kosidan and Diviner races truly are, yet how far apart they are in lifestyle and worldview; the vitriol based in rumor and “tradition” rather than logic or humanity; the horrific enslavement and degradation at Ibeji, or the way the troops cut down innocent children for fear of what they might be capable of one day; the unquenchable rage that comes from living a life in invisible, shameful chains: All amounts to a powerful indictment on just how far our society is from true justice.
It is important to note that even though Zellie goes through many fits of anger, frustration and wrestles with her most base instinct of hatred; she never reaches a point where she extends those feelings to all Kosidan-kind. Her powers are natural to all people if they only believe, and though she loses faith in herself at times, she never gives up on Orisha. She blames those in charge, those soldiers and commanders who could have chosen peace, and the people who do her harm, but not an entire race.
After all this raving I have a couple critiques as well:
I think the dialogue leaves something to be desired. A lot of it is stilted or short, mostly witty quips that fails to move the story. I am a big fan of dialogue that drives the plot, but mostly it is the internal dialogue/narration pushing forward in COBB.
Also, it wasn’t until the final third of the book that Amari’s voice distinguished itself from Zellie’s. They are clearly different characters, but both spend a lot of time thinking about things, both have the same basic cues for dialogue, and show the same process for handling crisis: freeze, get lucky, then make a move that’s even luckier than the first one.
In my opinion the ending itself is a jumble of providence and underdogs all having-their-day at the same time. I do not particularly enjoy the ending, because it felt like it was more convenient than well set-up but after a second reading it worked a little bit more. I like what the ending MEANS and what it sets up, but it’s actual execution was not my favorite.
In summation, my detractions are nitpicky/creative choices that promise to improve as Ms. Adeyemi writes. I am definitely a fan and cannot wait to read more! I highly recommend purchasing this novel and reading it twice in a row. I cannot wait for the second installment in the Legacy of Orisha: Children of Virtue and Vengeance, expected out December 3, 2019.
Children of Blood and Bone is a timeless message of hope, scrawled in the blood of the fallen Maji, that all people deserve dignity, respect and justice.